Rhudaur
Easternmost of the three sections of Arnor, Rhudaur (S."Trollshaw" Bl."Place of Roaring Red gold") was the wildest, most rugged, and least populated region in the North Kingdom. When Arnor was sundered in T.A. 861, Rhudaur became an independent realm. It was a culturally diverse and politically volatile territory with a relatively small Dúnadan population. Hillmen (Hi. "Ne Dreubhan") and later, migrating Dunmen, formed the majority of its populace. Its sparse Dúnadan aristocracy lost control of the kingdom in T.A. 1349; in the following year Rhudaur went to war with Cardolan and Arthedain. Rhudaur was subject to the Witch-king of Angmar for the last sixty years of its existence as a distinct state, until T.A. 1409. Thereafter Kings of Rhudaur were Angmarean puppets, ruling only the area around the capital at Cameth Brin. Rhudaur in TA 1650 *Political Organization: Tribal Confederation. *Rulers: King Broggha. *Administrative Organization: King by self-proclamation and use of force, Broggha holds the thirteen Hillman tribes together through sheer personal charisma. He appoints family members to most positions of responsibility,distrustful of any others. Tribal leaders retained their legal rights when they swore fealty to Broggha, but they surrendered any claim to land ownership to him. *Population: 217.800 Rhudaurians. *Military: 4,500 Warriors and Eastern Mercenaries, usually grouped according to tribe. *Products: Hides, copper, mercenaries. *Symbol: None. The Kingdom of Rhudaur did not last under Dúnadan rule for long after the sundering of Arnor in T.A. 861. The region had always been remote and far from the influence of Annúminas. Few Dúnedain lived in Rhudaur. ruling their subjects from within their strongholds and ever-fearful of revolt. Under the influence of the Witch- king of Angmar, the indigenous Hillmen finally succeeded in overthrowing their Dunadan masters in the winter of T.A. 1350. A series of Hillman chieftains subsequently set themselves up as Kings, though none could stabilize relations between the highly competitive tribal factions for long enough to establish a dynasty. Even with the aid of Angmar, the Hillman Kings were forced to rely upon brute force to enact their will. The best known King , Broggha. ruled his own Hillman people and a large population of Dunnish refugees forced North by the Plague. Broggha held the promise of stability for his realm for the first time in centuries. Unfortunately, he had to call upon a good deal of assistance from the Witch-king to establish his control. Broggha was no dear friend of Angmar and held the interests of his people first in his heart. He would have be satisfied to establish relations with the men of Cardolan and Arthedain if that relationship could have proven profitable to his people. Faced with the internal problem of disunity, Broggha seeked only peace to give his realm a chance to develop to the level of its Dúnadan neighbors. Sadly, the military threat of Angmar's Orcs and the guile of Angmarean agents in his midst made Broggha more often than not a puppet of the Witch-king. The agents of Angmar in his court played off the Hillmen's ancient strife with the Dúnedain to keep the enmity between Rhudaur and its former siblings burning. The Hillmen were closely related to the Dunmen of the South, but they held enough differences with their Dunnish brethren to warrant a separate classification. They spoke their own language, and had developed their own unique lifestyle while adapting to the rigors of the rough and unfriendly lands of Rhudaur.They organized themselves mainly along kinship lines. Each clan was ruled by a chief, with the King acting as a high chief over all the tribes, the symbolic patriarch of his country. Hunters among the Hillmen were honored, with the most prized prey being the mighty horned Losrandir. Most of the Hillmen lived in semi-permanent camps north of the Trollshaws, ready to follow the migrating herds that formed the basis for their lifestyle. Only a few lived in towns or in the remains of Dúnadan strongholds. Ihe Dunmen who made up an increasingly large portion of the population were more inclined to take up an urban lifestyle. They lived along and south of the Great East Road, exacting heavy tolls for their new Hillman king and themselves. Their tolls made little difference to the common wanderer, however, for the road through Rhudaur was pitted and eroded in many places, and bandits continued to plague travellers. Despite the untamed frontier nature of Rhudaur, there were efforts being made to bring the land up to the standards of its neighbors. Though Broggha faced a seemingly insurmountable task, he had managed to open a few regular trade routes through his land. The most profitable and least desirable of these was the road which lead to Angmar. The Witch-king sent regular caravans laden with finished metal weapons in exchange for the hides, timber, and copper Rhudaur had to offer. On a smaller scale, a few bold merchants from Tharbad had made mercantile contracts to King Broggha. The result of this trade had been little more than a few Southern luxury items in Broggha's court, but the King saw it as a promising start to gain respect for his realm. Later Years In T.A. 1975, with the destruction of the Angmarean army, the Trolls surviving in Rhudaur ravaged the last of the settled countryside. A winter of abject horror followed, and only strenuous efforts by refugees from the war to the west kept the remaining Rhudaurean fortresses in mannish hands. With the succeeding spring came the terrible "Woman's March" of refugees from Angmar—theTrolls and wild Orcs returned with a vengeance to slay and carry off the virtually defenseless families of lost Angmarean soldiers. In the midst of the carnage, the chiefs leading the Trolls and Orcs suffered a wave of violent and mysterious deaths. The Bana-Flahes, "White Fiends," from Rivendell made spot-appearances around the refugee camps. The mercenary ruffians who held Cameth Brin also tried to enslave the refugees; they, too, died for their pains. Into this chaos rode the Gondorian Canotar of Tharbad, with a handful of soldiers, scattering the ruffians and chasing the remaining Trolls into the hills. The refugees escaped to the south and east; by the time Gondorian engineers arrived from Bree-land, Cameth Brin had fallen to the Canotar; the work of destroying its fortifications begans. Without Cameth Brin and the other fortresses, Rhudaur could not be defended against the Trolls. Under Grulag, the last of the Witch-king's Ologs, a Troll Empire was founded in the late I990's. Thanks to the organizational skill of a mad Arthadan renegade named Cebermoth Night-shadow, the Troll Realm lasted for almost a century. It further depopulated the country as far south as Fennas Drunin. After Cebermoth's death, Grulag grew careless, and Elladan of Imladris caught and slew him in his bed. This set a pattern that held for the next thousand and more years. Attempts to organize the evil creatures of northeastern Eriador occured periodically, but the ambitious would-be tyrant—whether Troll, Man, Orc, or Wraith—always made the same elementary mistake of letting the Rangers and Elves get wind of his location. The error eventually led to his death and the demise of his empire. regions the Angle Barnâtha Blind-Ox Vale Blogath´s Valley Brochenridge Bruinen Calamir Caranduin Vale Carest Ceredigion Coldfells Dimbar Drebiwyd Dún Glandagol Eastwood Elven Fells Ephanial fields Ettendales Ettenglade Ettenmoors Everlasting Plain Famera-Grish Fell-land Fereic Forest of Curses Glin a-Creag Granite Sea Great Moors High Fells Highmoor Hoardales Hoarwell Marches Imlad Mitheithel Llyr Lone lands Maglilas Melosse Mithlad Morva Tarth Northern marches Ornuil Valley Pinefells Pwyll Rangaza Safin Rhaglaw Scandric-grate Sirruth Skull Wood Southern Marches Stone-Piles Tegwared Trollshaws Trollwood Tum Dincelon Upper Gwathló Basin Witbeamwyd Wolfdale Wolf Wood Yfelwyd settlements and points of interest 1650: Barad Calen Barluin Bastuca Benhuis Blind Ox Hold Brin Coch Brochenridge Broig Bryamor Caldeburg Cameth Brin Camp of the Siol Nunaw and Macha Mur Caradruin Village Carandor Coron Iaur Coronminas Crossriver Daenos Dinuis Dispar Dol Aglardin Dol Carak Dol Cultirith Dol Duniath Dol Elerilde Dol Gelin Dol Gil Dol Hithaer Dol Mithlad Duildin Hill Dunno Elnost Erethrin Tirin Fennas Drúnin Fottred´s Farm Gamanas Garbin Garkash Gersebroc Girail Glin a-Creag Glin aRhua Gloranon Gorge Harnalda Helegmel Herubar Gûlar High Fells of Rhudaur Hoarwell Ferry Huggins Troll-Cave Iach-Bann Iant Methed Iffgûl's Keep Inn at the Last Bridge Jurda Kelthad Longfell Low lake cavern low road Maccs-Rhua Maes Fao Mag Tuira Malin's Home Men Sirmorva Minas Brethil Minas Suleraig Morva Tarth Neddig Nordinbar Nothva Rhaglaw Old Copper Mine Pass of Dol Hithaer Pen-Drebi Pen-Hag Penmorva Reedhaven Rilineldor Sable Tower Ser oneldeon Tarma Sirtathar Site of the Petty-Dwarves Smallforge Soldan's Cross Stone-Piles Taglos Gwathren Talugdaeri Tandauer Tanoth Brin Tanoth Methed Tateshalla Teregost Three goats Inn Thuin Boid Tir-barad Tereg Tîregad Tirthon Tower of Crisgalen Twisted Hill Zagoth's Tower 3019: Arador´s end Garbert´s cottage Glân Vraig Gramsfoot Grimwood Lumber Camp Hoarhallow Hoarwell Hrimbarg Imladris Isendeep Lugazag Tanoth Brin Taurdal Tyrrilth Warrens Peoples Rhudaurians *Dúnedain **Haeranedain **Rangers of the North *Daen **Dunmen **Hillmen *Northrons **Men of the misty mountains **Vulseggi Dwarves: *Dwarves of Gabilazan *Dwarves of Smallforge Elves: *Elves olf Imladris Halflings: *Stoors of Reedhaven and Hoardale Giants: Stone Giants Trolls: *Hill-Trolls *Stone-Trolls *Wood-Trolls Orcs: *Goblins of Goblin-Town *Gramsfoot-Goblins *Krahjarn *Laenan-Orcs *Ongbúrz *Snowreap-Orcs Characters Elves`` Gillindir Giants: Ridorthu Men: 1650: Alfward Alnoth Arfanhil Bessandis Briam Broggha Dunhuet Ethacali Hannei Hwaldar Iovon Korekalwen Marendil Odelard Seammu Sibroc Thenesleag Valadan Walvoric Witbert 3019: Aragorn Arathorn Curotal Dirhaborn Dunhir Elegost Elgarain Elladrien Evonyn Finnel Halbarad Halbaron Lavel Leamon Pelissar Uchel Orcs: Golfimbûl Gorganog Huglush Shaknar Trolls: Bill Bert Tom Undead: Cadoc Gerse references *MERP:Arnor *MERP:Campaign and Adventure Guidebook *MERP:Dark Mage of Rhudaur *MERP:Hillmen of the Trollshaws *MERP: Middle-earth Adventure Guidebook II *MERP:Middle-earth Role Playing *MERP:Northwestern Middle-earth Campaign Atlas *MERP:Phantom of the Northern Marches *MERP:Rivendell The House of Elrond *MERP:Trolls of the Misty Mountains *merp.com wiki category:Rhudaur category:Kingdoms category:Eriador Category:Lands